Mumbai:

A man illegally entered a location where Salman Khan was shooting for a film in Mumbai and, when questioned, asked whether he should call gangster Lawrence Bishnoi, police sources said. 

The officials said Mr Khan was shooting for a film in Dadar’s Shivaji Park area on Wednesday when the man entered the venue. Finding his movements suspicious, some people asked him what he was doing, only for the man to respond: “Bishnoi ko bulau kya? (Should I call Lawrence Bishnoi?)”.

The man has been taken to the Shivaji Park police station, where he is being questioned. 

The Bishnoi gang had claimed responsibility for the shooting outside Salman Khan’s house in Mumbai’s Bandra in April. The actor’s name had also come up when the Bishnoi gang said it had killed former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique in Bandra in October. A member of the gang had allegedly said that the politician was close to Salman Khan and that anyone who helped the actor would also be in its crosshairs. 

The actor has been receiving a string of threats, especially since Baba Siddique’s killing, and some of them have also turned out to be fake. Last month, a 24-year-old lyricist of a song in an upcoming Salman Khan was arrested for sending a threat to the actor and himself, purportedly from the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. Police had said the lyricist had called the Mumbai traffic control room and issued the threat because he wanted the song, which mentions Bishnoi, to get publicity.

In October, another person had called up the Mumbai police control room and threatened that the actor would be killed unless he paid Rs 2 crore as ransom. 

Why Salman Khan?

The Bishnoi gang, which became a household name after claiming responsibility for murdering musician Sidhu Moose Wala in 2022, has said it wants to kill Salman Khan because of his alleged involvement in shooting blackbucks at Bawad in Mathania near Jodhpur in September 1998, during the filming of ‘Hum Saath Saath Hain’.

The alleged act had upset the Bishnoi community, which considers the blackbuck sacred.

Lawrence Bishnoi had also said during a court appearance in 2018: “We will kill Salman Khan in Jodhpur. Everyone will know once we take action. I have not done anything as of now, they are accusing me of crimes for no reason.”

Mumbai:

Bollywood star Salman Khan has received another threat over a song linking his name to jailed gangster Lawrence Bishnoi. The threat was received by Mumbai’s traffic control room at around midnight on Thursday, which marks yet another security concern surrounding the actor, following a series of threats over recent months.

The threat message referenced a song that allegedly names both Salman Khan and Lawrence Bishnoi, stating that the songwriter responsible would face severe repercussions within a month. “The songwriter’s condition will be such that he will no longer be able to write songs. If Salman Khan has the courage, he should save them,” the threat message read.

This latest incident follows a recent escalation in threats linked to Lawrence Bishnoi and his associates, who have previously targeted Mr Khan over alleged grievances stemming from a blackbuck poaching case from 1998.

In a recent arrest, a 32-year-old man named Bhikha Ram, also known as Vikram, was detained by police in Karnataka’s Haveri in connection with prior threats to Mr Khan. Originally from Jalore in Rajasthan, Bhikha Ram was handed over to Maharashtra’s Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) on Wednesday.

During his interrogation, Bikha Ram confessed admiration for Lawrence Bishnoi, who he sees as his “idol”. Bikha Ram reportedly planned to use a 5-crore ransom demand to build a temple for the Bishnoi community.

Mumbai Police are also investigating another high-profile case involving a death threat and an extortion demand of Rs 50 lakh directed at actor Shah Rukh Khan. The call, made to Bandra Police, was traced to a phone registered in the name of Raipur-based lawyer Faizan Khan. Faizan, who reported his phone stolen on November 2, has stated that he believes he was targeted as part of a conspiracy.

As per preliminary details, Faizan Khan, who had previously raised an objection against Shah Rukh Khan over a dialogue in the 1994 film Anjaam that referenced deer hunting-a sensitive issue for the Bishnoi community-was questioned by Mumbai Police in Raipur on Thursday. 

“I hail from Rajasthan. The Bishnoi community (which is from Rajasthan) is my friend. It is in their religion to protect deer. So, if a Muslim says something like this about deer, it is condemnable. Therefore, I raised an objection,” he said, as quoted by news agency PTI.

In a two-hour-long interrogation, Faizan claimed his phone had been stolen, adding that the call made from it was an attempt to implicate him.

Mumbai:

Making the second such arrest in quick succession, the Mumbai Police have arrested a man for threatening to kill actor Salman Khan. 

The Mumbai Traffic Police’s control room had received an anonymous message threatening to kill the actor if Rs 2 crore was not given as ransom. A case was registered by the Mumbai Police and, officials said, Azam Mohammad Mustafa – a resident of Bandra East – was arrested on Wednesday. 

Earlier this week, Gufran Khan, a 20-year-old tattoo artist from Noida, had been arrested for threatening Salman Khan and Bandra East MLA Zeeshan Siddique. 

Mr Siddique is the son of former Maharashtra minister and NCP leader Baba Siddique, who was shot dead in Bandra on October 12. Baba Siddique was known to be close to Salman Khan and had played a role in ending the actor’s five-year-long cold war with Shah Rukh Khan in 2013.

The tattoo artist, who had been arrested by the Mumbai Police, said he had planned to send another threatening message to demand money but was apprehended before he could do so.

The Lawrence Bishnoi gang had claimed responsibility for the firing outside Salman Khan’s residence in Bandra in April and, in a Facebook post, also said it was responsible for Baba Siddique’s murder. 

The post from the handle of one Shubuu Lonkar, believed to be Bishnoi gang associate Shubham Rameshwar Lonkar, claimed that Siddique had been killed because he was linked to India’s most wanted terrorist Dawood Ibrahim, was close to Salman Khan and because of the death of Anuj Thapan, one of the arrested suspects in the shooting outside Mr Khan’s house, in police custody.

“We do not have any enmity with anyone but whoever helps Salman Khan and the Dawood gang, keep your accounts in order (‘hisaab-kitaab kar lena’),” Lonkar wrote in Hindi in the Facebook post.

Why Salman Khan?

The Bishnoi gang, which became a household name after claiming responsibility for murdering musician Sidhu Moose Wala in 2022, has said it wants to kill Salman Khan because of his alleged involvement in shooting blackbucks at Bawad in Mathania near Jodhpur in September 1998, during the filming of ‘Hum Saath Saath Hain’.

The alleged act had upset the Bishnoi community, which considers the blackbuck sacred.

Lawrence Bishnoi had said during a court appearance in 2018: “We will kill Salman Khan in Jodhpur. Everyone will know once we take action. I have not done anything as of now, they are accusing me of crimes for no reason.”

Mumbai:

 Mumbai Police have arrested a man from Jamshedpur who had threatened Bollywood actor Salman Khan in the name of gangster Lawrence Bishnoi and demanded a ransom of Rs 5 crore.

According to the Mumbai Police, it registered a case against an unknown person and started an investigation after Mumbai Traffic Police received a threatening message.

“With the help of local police in Jamshedpur, an investigation was done and today the person who sent the message was arrested. He will be brought to Mumbai,” the police said.

Earlier on October 21, the Mumbai police received an apology from the same sender who threatened Mr Khan on October 18, stating that the message was “sent by mistake.”

The initial threat message was sent to the number of Mumbai Traffic Police’s control room on October 18.

A few days later, the Mumbai Traffic Police received another message from the same number, in which the individual who had issued a threat apologised, claiming the message was sent by mistake.

According to Mumbai police, the location of the person who sent this message was tracked from Jharkhand.

The person who sent the message claimed to be close to Lawrence Bishnoi’s gang and claimed to put the actor’s life in danger if not provided with the extortion money.

The sender claimed, “Don’t take it lightly, if Salman Khan wants to stay alive and wants to end the enmity with Lawrence Bishnoi, then he will have to pay Rs 5 crore. If the money is not given, Salman Khan’s condition will be worse than Baba Siddique’s.”

The Worli Police filed a case in connection to the threat message received by the Mumbai traffic police.

The incident came in the backdrop of the recent murder of NCP leader Baba Siddique.

Meanwhile, Salman Khan made a return to Bigg Boss 18 just days after the demise of his close friend and NCP leader, Baba Siddique.

In the latest episode, the actor admitted he didn’t want to be back on the show, but his work commitments brought him there.

The superstar shared that he didn’t feel like meeting anyone, given the difficult situation he was going through.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

Mumbai:

Bollywood actor Salman Khan has been issued a death threat, allegedly by the Lawrence Bishnoi gang, demanding Rs 5 crore to “end the enmity”. A WhatsApp message, sent to Mumbai Traffic Police, warned that if the money is not paid, then the actor’s fate would be worse than that of former Maharashtra minister Baba Siddique, who was murdered recently, allegedly by Bishnoi gang members.

“Don’t take this lightly. If Salman Khan wants to stay alive and end the enmity with Lawrence Bishnoi, he must pay Rs 5 crore. If the money is not given, his condition will be worse than Baba Siddiqui’s,” the threat message read. 

According to sources, the Mumbai Police is working to track the origins of the message and have increased security around Mr Khan’s Bandra residence. The actor has been on high alert following previous threats, and this recent development has added renewed concerns about his safety.

READ | Lawrence Bishnoi Has 700 Shooters On Call. How He Operates From Jail

Yesterday, the Navi Mumbai Police arrested a key member of the Lawrence Bishnoi gang. The accused, identified as Sukha alias Sukhbir Balbir Singh, was apprehended in Haryana’s Panipat and has been linked to an alleged plot to assassinate Mr Khan. Singh had reportedly given a contract to other gang members to carry out the attack on the actor.

According to police sources, Singh had been in direct contact with his handler, Dogar, a Pakistani-based figure, to coordinate the planned attack. The gang had allegedly intended to use high-powered firearms, including AK-47s, M16s, and AK-92s, smuggled from Pakistan to execute the plot. 

Singh’s arrest is the latest in a series of breakthroughs in a broader investigation into the Bishnoi gang’s conspiracy against Mr Khan. Earlier this year, the Navi Mumbai police registered an FIR against 18 individuals from the gang for plotting to kill the actor. The FIR followed a shocking incident in which members of the gang fired outside Mr Khan’s Bandra residence.

READ | “Wanted Canada To Extradite Bishnoi Gang Members”: India On Diplomatic Row

Among the accused named in the case are high-profile members of the Bishnoi gang, including Lawrence Bishnoi himself, his brother Anmol, Sampat Nehra, Goldie Brar, and Rohit Godhara. These individuals have long been linked to organised criminal activity across North India and have become notorious for their brazen threats and acts of violence.

The ongoing police investigation has uncovered disturbing details about the gang’s planning. Police sources revealed that the Bishnoi gang had deployed between 60 to 70 operatives to monitor Mr Khan’s movements. These individuals conducted reconnaissance at various locations, including Mr Khan’s Bandra residence, his Panvel farmhouse, and the actor’s shooting locations. The gang even attempted to recruit minors to act as sharpshooters.

This is not the first time Mr Khan has been the target of death threats linked to the Bishnoi gang. In 2022, a letter threatening the actor was discovered on a bench near his residence, and in March 2023, the actor received an email allegedly sent by members of the gang. In January 2024, two unidentified individuals attempted to trespass into Mr Khan’s Panvel farmhouse using fake identities, an incident that prompted the actor to increase security around his property.

Mr Khan’s feud with Lawrence Bishnoi dates back several years. The gangster, currently imprisoned, has reportedly harboured a grudge against the actor over his alleged involvement in the 1998 blackbuck poaching case. The Bishnoi community reveres the blackbuck, and the incident is the primary reason why the gang seeks revenge.